3 Blogging Tips To Attract And Keep More Customers
Filed Under blogging | Posted on November 9, 2008
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Take care, Laura
Hi all,
I wanted to post this article I wrote awhile ago because I feel it’s important to understand how you can build your business and reputation through blogging. I liked this article and got some good feedback from it so here it goes!
Blogging for your business is a widely known method of attracting more people to your website and to increase your customer base and interest in general. But what makes a blog post intriguing enough that you are the chosen one amongst the thousands of others who are your competition? What makes you different than the others?
Your enthusiasm and motivation about your home business will make you stand out amongst the others. It’s not only about the words but instead about what and who is behind those words. Too many people post matter-of-fact articles and it becomes well, “matter-of-fact.” It is imperative to find a different angle that will get people who read your work looking and coming back for more.
Tip 1: Write with sincere enthusiasm. People will see it. If it is real and permeates through your words then it will show. As you are writing, think about how excited you are about what you are doing and where it will help you and especially others if they know about your program and your vision. Give inspirational examples and show your love for the business.
Tip 2: Write to help people succeed. It is one thing to promote your programs/business and to give all that they have to offer. Keep in mind though that many people are looking into these businesses for the first time with absolutely no experience whatsoever.
What do you think they are looking for? They want a home business but they need help in starting and want someone who understands their needs as well. Write with the intention of offering help. It will bring readers in and give newcomers what they are looking for.
Tip 3: Write with a sincere vision. This is easy to do if you have laid out your plans and know what you want to accomplish for your business. Keep it real but let readers and potential customers know what you envision for you and everyone else with an interest in your business. Let them know that you have a training program planned for them so that they will be able to grow as marketers. Write out your long- term plan so the readers can visualize it themselves. Inspire them with your goals and how they can incorporate these goals into their own vision for the future.
Blogging is a very personal way for businesses to attract a very loyal customer base. Blogs are more personal and give a customer a feel for the actual person behind the business. Utilize this medium because it is essential in this internet world of thousands of websites with the same goals and same customer base. It is possible to stand out. You just need to know how.
I hope you liked it.
Until the next time,
Laura
bloggingStarting A New Blog-Step By Step Instructions
Filed Under blogging | Posted on October 26, 2008
Blogging is by far one of the easiest and least expensive ways to get targeted traffic to your site or landing page. The search engines are constantly seeking new content to spider and index on their pages.
The two most popular blogging sites are with www.blogger.com and www.wordpress.com. I have heard the WordPress blogs have less problems and are indexed more readily by the search engines.
Each of these sites has templates and step-by-step instructions on how to create the look and design of your blog. This is all done from the administrator side of your blog. It is useful to click on all the menu items and get to know your back office so to speak. Take some time to experiment because you will want to add or delete items or change the look of your blog from time to time.
The blogroll is very important because this is where you can add all the links to your programs in RIOY. You just click on blogroll from your back office and there will be a link to add a link. It is that easy.
Now before you get started, you have to brainstorm a name and URL for your blog. If you intend to use your blog solely for the purpose of promoting RIOY, then you may want to have “RIOY” somewhere in the URL. For example, it can be something like www.joesRIOYblog.com. Often times it helps to have some configuration of “home business” or key words that people search for when they are seeking a home business or work from home opportunity. If your blog does become indexed quickly, then those domain name and title choices can make a difference in the amount of targeted traffic you get to your site.
Now let’s talk about posting. It’s important to frequently write a post or update your blog. You really have free reign to write about anything you want. Ideally you do want to write posts about the RIOY program from time to time. You can provide a description of RIOY, LHN and Maxegen. That is all ready 3 posts! I usually update what is happening with my team or something with the progress RIOY is making. Another idea is to post about your own progress as new marketer and owner of a home business.
If you run out of ideas there are several options. You can write a post about something you do know something about. Also, you can also post articles from www.ezinearticles.com. You are allowed to do this as long as you include the author’s resource box at the bottom of the article. It’s a great way to keep updating your blog when you are having a dry spell.
Another important point about your posts is that you want to choose a key word phrase for each post if you can. If you are focusing on RIOY then you will want to have RIOY somewhere in the title of your post as well and in the first and last paragraphs. You can also have it throughout the article but you do not want to overdo it. Also make sure that any of the key words you have in mind are typed in BOLD lettering. This stands out to the search engines.
Last but certainly not least you will want to “bookmark” your posts after publishing them. Many people are aware of social bookmarking and go to those sites to see what has been updated. The easiest way to do this is to use a service that updates to several sites at once because it could become tedious. A good free service is at www.onlywire.com.
You can sign up there and you will be directed to sign up at about 14 bookmarking sites. Once you have done that the rest is easy. After you publish a post, you go to favorites where onlywire will be stored under links. Then you click on the onlywire link which actually says “save page” and you will fill out a form and a description of your post. That is all there is to it.
If you are interested in having a Wordpress blog set up for you I can give you a recommendation. I had my blog done for me by someone who is very professional and helpful. His rates are very reasonable and well worth it because he optimizes the blog for you. Check out http://www.wordpressmax.com/install-wordpress
That’s it for this lesson. There will be many more. By the way, I did this for my RIOY members but it really is relevant to anyone who wants to use a free way to promote their business.
Until the next time,
Laura
bloggingSo What Is A Backlink Or How To Get More Traffic
Filed Under forums, blogging, Home Business | Posted on July 21, 2008
As every owner of a website knows, your site is useless if you cannot get traffic. You can spend hundreds of dollars with all the bells and whistles, but if no one can find it then its nonexistent to your potential market.
One of the most significant and free ways to get more traffic to your site is to increase the number of backlinks that point to your site.
So what is a backlink? A backlink is literally another place where the URL or anchor text for your website is shown. It could be on a blog, another website, in the resource box of an article, or in a signature on a forum. The more of these backlinks you have the point to your website, the better chance your website will be seen.
Article Marketing. This is one of the best ways to increase your web presence. When you submit an article to an ezine and it is published you will always be able to include a resource box. Your resource box should say something about you and also have at least one link to your website and possibly to your blog. If a reader is interested in what you have to say, you can be fairly sure to click on one of your links to find out more about you and your product/services. Also, other publishers may find your article and choose to include it on their website and now you have two or more backlinks for the price of one.
Posting on Forums. This is a beautiful way of creating more backlinks and also become an internet presence at the same time. There are many business forums where you can learn more about marketing techniques, work from home ideas and promote your own programs and give ideas to others. The interaction amongst forum members is usually very interesting and mostly civil. The point is though that you are allowed a signature which you can use anchor text that points to your website or literally give the URL. Some forums don’t allow affiliate ID’s in the signature so many people use anchor text.
Commenting On Blogs. Blogs are easily indexed by the search engines because they are always looking for new content. There is always an area at the end of a post where you can comment on that specific post. It’s a good idea to post on blogs that are related to your niche but in the end it is not that important. What is important is to have your URL out there where you are adding up your backlinks.
Free and targeted traffic is ideal for internet marketers. One does not have to pay to be a sponsored ad. By creating more and more backlinks, you are creating more ways for the search engines to find you. If they are finding you then so are the people who are looking for exactly what you are selling. It doesn’t get better than that.
article marketing backlinks blogging forum marketing forums Home Business
Women Bloggers To Watch in 2008
Filed Under blogging | Posted on January 9, 2008
I was so thrilled to see this post that I wanted to post it here. Heidi has an awesome blog featuring women bloggers who have great stories, promote great products and essentially is promoting a network of hardworking women. I want to thank Heidi for featuring my blog…I could not be happier!!
Please go to WECAI and learn how to promote your own home business. Heidi is networking women around the world to help them build their ebusinesses.
Virtual Woman’s Day Celebrations
Where women connect virtually to share their stories, promote their products and make new friends
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Women Bloggers to Watch in 2008!
Mary Kay Ash Women are blogging in record numbers these days - so may blogs, so much content and so little time to check them all out. Each month during 2008, I will be highlighting dozens of blogs written by women, on a variety of topics, genres and locations around the globe. These women share one thing in common. They have a goal, a theme and a purpose in their lives. Please do stop by their blogs, check them out, leave a comment and see how many great relationships you can develop online in the next 12 months. Here are the Virtual Woman’s Day 25 Women Bloggers to Watch in 2008 for January:
1. eJohnson and Company with Elizabeth Johnson
2. Susan Mernit
3. Personal Development Demands Success with Priscilla Palmer
4. Mom Gadget with Gayla McCord
5. Laura’s Learning about Business
6. Organize Your Life with Sarah Kimmell
7. The Technology Vixen with Gennipher
8. Natural Living Blog with Pennie Mills
9. What Sells Online with Samantha Tang
10. Organicsyes with Susan Loughrin
11. California Musing with Susan
12. Phoenix Consulting with Theresa Rhoden
13. Angie Pedersen - Scrapbook Marketing
14. Debra Simpson - Magic in Blogging
15. Ash Joie-Lee - the Paisley Goddess
16. One Minute Book Reviews with Janice Harayda
17. And a Mom with Jules
18. How I changed the world today with Julia
19. Social Net Rocks True with Jacinta Gascoigne
20. Biz Chicks Rule with Kristen King
21. Home Biz Notes With Mary Emma Allen
22. Suburbia Queen with Jamie
23. Eavesdrop Writer with Vienne
24. NuNomad Blog with Carmen Bolanos
25. ZenGuide by Yang-May Ooi
Look for our next 25 in February - the Baby Boomer Bloggers….Until then, let your fingers do the walking …. Heidi
Home Business Blogging For Newbies
Filed Under blogging, Home Business | Posted on December 15, 2007
Starting in a home business fills most of us with apprehension, but once the money is handed over, we want to see some return on our investment. Most of the affiliate programs will offer a training program, but often it requires more money than we are willing to give up initially. Remember, we are still wary and don’t want to jump in full force.
Blogging is the answer and it can all be done for free. The first thing to do is to start an account on blogger.com. They offer a series of templates to help you design your blog. Give yourself an hour or two and experiment. Play with all the templates and see what the versions look like. It’s actually fun to do and will help take away the stress that comes with working with the unfamiliar.
Now you need to think of a great title for your blog. Try to think of something creative that will give the readers (and the search engines) an idea of what you essentially are trying to promote. If your title has great key words that you will use in many of your posts, the more it will be recognized. Do not stress about that though, just think of something that suits you and your personality and your product or business.
Start writing. There are many articles, Ebooks, forums, etc on SEO (search engine optimization) and I believe these are all important concepts that require study and time. Frankly they are invaluable in the long term. I don’t believe they are important if you are writing your first articles and getting your feet wet.
Write your first blog post. Write it about anything you want to write about. Show your personality, vulnerability, creativity, inquisitiveness, flaws and whatever else in your writing. Write about how you are so excited about your new home business you can hardly contain yourself. Be funny, be serious, be informative and just be there and write.
In between those articles start researching SEO and take it a little at a time. Some articles without SEO are much more fun to write (for me) and actually will be read and commented on.
Take baby steps and enjoy the entire process because it is truly a blast!
Learn more about blogging and find other great articles on internet marketing here.
I Signed Up For A Home Business…Now What…Blog
Filed Under blogging, home based business, Home Business | Posted on December 13, 2007
So you signed up for a home business and now you have a website and “tons” of training materials. You are apprehensive because you know absolutely nothing about internet marketing. But what the heck, its free. Now come all the emails about upgrades and everything you really need to do to truly make money.
This will happen 99% of the time when you sign up for a program without doing any research. The ads are just so enticing and it so difficult to blow something off that “guarantees $9,000 a month.”
I never had a blog before and I rarely read them. My blog has helped me get so much exposure on the internet and it is actually fun to do.
It does not matter what program you are promoting, just start a blog and think of ways you would want to tell people about your program. There is a free website to host your blog at www.blogger.com and they walk you through the steps to create your blog.
Think of a great title that will emphasize your main goal. If you are selling perfume than somehow incorporate that and the same with anything you are trying to promote.
The goal is to get your blog noticed and to have people come back to your blog.
If you are a beginner, just begin with a blog. The next step is to write articles that will get your blog noticed and indexed by the search engines. That is your goal!!
If you want advice or help, write an article and send it to me by signing up at my blog. I would be more than happy to look it over and give advice.
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MASTERING AFFILIATE PROGRAMS
Filed Under blogging, Home Business | Posted on November 12, 2007
There is a learning curve when you are starting a home business, especially with affiliate programs. With affiliate programs, you are one member among many people who are striving for the same goal. You are selling a program, a product or both and you want to be noticed. You want people to see your website and feel convinced that they should sign up under you or buy from you. So how do you accomplish this not so easy task?
1) You must start a blog. Write well and write often. Since search engines are always looking for new content. Write about your affiliate program, the product, your experience and journey about marketing on the internet. Post on your blog at least 2 to 3 times a week.
2) Submit your articles to ezines. There is almost no better way to become noticed as an expert in your niche than by submitting articles to ezines and being published. The best ezines are read by thousands of people daily and there are people who will want to read what you write. The resource box that is included with your article is an invaluable way to have people come to your website. You can use some of the same posts from your blog, change them around a bit and possibly write them a little more formally.
3) Get more backlinks. Aside from your resource box as a backlink, the more you post on forums, answer Yahoo questions, or give testimonials when you use a service, you will get a backlink. These are free ways to advertise your site and will inevitably drive more traffic to your site. Once again, it is easy and free.
4) Do free advertising classifieds. These are free advertising websites where you post your ad just as you would in a newspaper or magazine. These are great because thousands of people really do read them and for many is their first stop when looking for a great deal. Try www.freeadvertisingexchange.com or www.usfreeads.
If you take these steps you would be surprised how quickly to can get through that learning curve. Also, for those of you are intimidated by writing, the more you do it the better you will get.
A Successful Home Business Takes More Than 10 Minutes A Day
Filed Under making money online, blogging, make money online, home based business, online home based business, Home Business | Posted on November 9, 2007
When I started researching home business opportunities, I must have seen at least 100 ads for businesses that were free to join, you can make $1000 a week and you did not have to give more than 10 to 30 minutes a day. Wow. Why isn’t everyone doing that? The answer is pretty simple. It doesn’t work that way, especially in the beginning.
You can join a program for free. Sign up for all the free home business programs that you can. Unless you upgrade in that program (not free) you cannot earn commissions. That is a fact. You can promote the website and potentially get referrals, but commissions will not happen for you.
You do have to promote. There is too much competition out there to just sit back and hope the company will promote for you. Most affiliate programs count on the fact that you will promote your website. Do not be fooled if a home business program says that you don’t have to do anything and will make money instantly. An aside to that is there are a few legitimate businesses that are structuring their payouts so that you do not have to promote a website yourself (like the Berry Tree ), but they also do not say it will happen overnight. With the Berry Tree, they do tell you it will take two years and then you will have a guaranteed $1333 payout a month.
You have to spend some money. Unless you have endless amounts of time, you need to spend some money on ways to optimize your website, buying credits on traffic exchanges, or having your articles submitted for you. You can make decisions about where you want to spend your money, but if you want to find success with your home business in a timely manner, some money should be spent.
You have to read about and listen to successful people. I learned about all of this through reading ebooks and posting and reading forums. I was introduced to all these aspects of starting a home business, joining affiliate programs and internet marketing through the Plug In Profit Site. I spoke to and wrote to people who have found major success in this business and it was clear what I had to do.
I truly believe anyone can do this. You have to go into it with a realistic mindset and set goals. It will not happen overnight and don’t plan on making extra money for the holidays if you sign up for a home business program today. Treat it like a real business and you will find your way.
Berry Tree blogging home based business Home Business make money online making money online online home based business plug in profit siteI Love Blogging (Most Of The Time)
Filed Under blogging | Posted on October 16, 2007
I am going to fess up. I started this blog because I wanted to start a home business and decided to join the Plug In Profit Site Program. In the training for this program, you are strongly encouraged to start a blog and write articles, submit to article directories, etc.
The whole point is to get noticed, get your name out there and become established in your niche. The other huge point is to have people read what you write on your blog and be so enticed that they feel absolutely compelled that their mouse goes right over to all of your links and clicks on them. Once they click on those links, they will be so incredibly impressed by all the programs you are involved in that they will sign up to learn more, possibly join, and now you are their sponsor! You can almost see the $$$$$$ jumping into your Pay Pal account.
It doesn’t always happen that way. You have to write articles that make people want to learn more about what you do or what programs you belong to. You want them to want to ask questions about you or ask you questions. Your goal is to get your readers to search all over your website to find out more. It should be like there are huge arrows pointing to your links saying “click on me now.”
I’m finding that it is not so easy as it seems. I have had success with this blog and I enjoy writing about some of the serious aspects of this business and how to get ahead as well as being self-deprecating at times (like now). But I will be perfectly honest that I have not perfected this art. A couple of days ago I wrote an article that I thought was pretty interesting and had a couple of hundred views. My blog was in the #1 position on Google for “learning about business blogs.” I had 3 clicks on my links….so there you go.
I still have much to learn and absolutely love doing this. It is so great though to have these ups and downs in this business because you learn by your mistakes and you can literally see your growth in many ways. I have definitely learned to keep the faith and continue to learn as much as I can!
bloggingGood News For Bloggers
Filed Under blogging | Posted on September 16, 2007
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In the past a person would have found it hard to blog. In present day the use of Blogging is more common than ever. Blogging has become a everyday event on the internet. You can see blogs every where you look.
People are going online to find a blog to get information, to exchange ideas, and to communicate about your business. There are a lot of people who go to a blog and get information and use it for themselves, or they get together and share what they learn with others. A good blog will be changed often with new information. Your blog can be used to bring in customers and to communicate with people. The key is that updating your blog with new information often will help bring back your readers who want to see what you have new to offer them.
Blogs are free on the internet. They bring in potential new clients everyday which is huge in helping you build your business. Bloggers are a tight community of people that have ideas like you and sometimes maybe a little different. Together you can share ideas and make your blogs more popular. Blogging is the future of the information highway, and some will say the future is already here.
If you do not have one you are getting left behind by your competitiors. Blogging gives you an opportunity to give information about your business. You can also promote other blogs or ventures you are working on to give more depth to your blog. Search engine rankings change several times a day. If you are always adding new things to your blog you will make it easier for people to find you. Search engines love blogs because it is fresh content for their searchers. Once you reach the level of an authority blog they will spider your website almost daily. How awesome is that?
Blogging gives you a great opportunity to get credibility, gain referrals, valuable feedback, and dialogue. By incorporating comments, audio, video, contests, and other ideas you may have, you can make your blog an interactive experience for everyone who visits it. You can use your blog to make money by adding affiliate programs, and by selling products that relate to the theme of your blog and to the theme of each individual post. In the end, the final choice for how you blog will be up to you. Use these valuable tips to make your blog better for everyone and start blogging!
blogging
